SC Senate Majority Leader Criticizes Former House Speaker's Supreme Court Bid

Shane Massey says Jay Lucas is the 'least qualified' of the candidates vying for the state's high court.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey has spoken out against former House Speaker Jay Lucas' candidacy for the state Supreme Court, arguing that Lucas is the 'least qualified' of the four candidates running for the open seat. Massey said electing Lucas, who has no prior judicial experience, would 'confirm what he calls unfounded suspicions that the judicial branch is beholden to the lawmakers who elect them or the legislature is electing people not qualified to be on the bench.'

Why it matters

The election of Supreme Court justices in South Carolina by the state legislature has long been a source of controversy, with concerns that the process can lead to political influence over the judiciary. Massey's public criticism of Lucas' candidacy highlights these ongoing tensions between the legislative and judicial branches.

The details

Lucas, the former House Speaker who left office in 2022, is one of four candidates vying for the Supreme Court seat currently held by Justice John Few, who is running for reelection. The other candidates are Administrative Law Judge Ralph Anderson and Appeals Court Judge Blake Hewitt. Massey argued that if Lucas is elected, it will 'confirm what he calls unfounded suspicions that the judicial branch is beholden to the lawmakers who elect them or the legislature is electing people not qualified to be on the bench.' Senate Judiciary Chairman Luke Rankin has also previously expressed concerns about Lucas' candidacy.

  • The Supreme Court election is scheduled for March 4, 2026.
  • Lucas left his position as House Speaker in 2022.

The players

Shane Massey

The Senate Majority Leader in South Carolina who has criticized former House Speaker Jay Lucas' Supreme Court candidacy.

Jay Lucas

The former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives who is running for a seat on the state's Supreme Court.

John Few

The current South Carolina Supreme Court Justice who is running for reelection.

Ralph Anderson

An Administrative Law Judge who is running for the open South Carolina Supreme Court seat.

Blake Hewitt

An Appeals Court Judge who is running for the open South Carolina Supreme Court seat.

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What they’re saying

“Electing a former legislative leader to the court with no judicial experience, when he is by all objective measures the least qualified for the position, if he's qualified at all, is not right. It is wrong. It gives credence to all the suspicion and attacks. It makes the unfounded founded and the unwarranted warranted, it soils the institution itself.”

— Shane Massey, Senate Majority Leader (heraldonline.com)

What’s next

The South Carolina General Assembly will vote on the Supreme Court candidates on March 4, 2026.

The takeaway

The controversy over Jay Lucas' Supreme Court candidacy highlights the ongoing tensions between the legislative and judicial branches in South Carolina, with concerns that the legislature's role in electing judges can lead to political influence over the courts.